The Body Shop's "Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask" Review

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing a new purchase, the Body Shops "Ionic Clay Mask" from their Seaweed range. It's a clay mask which dries down, helping to clear pores and deep clean your skin while also help dry out breakouts. I was looking for a clay mask to hopefully replace my Soap and Glory "The Fab Pore". While the S&G mask is slightly less drying and leaves your skin softer, the Body Shops mask is a bit more cleansing and your skin feels a deeper cleanse. They both really help with blemishes, I feel as though they work wonders on skin if used once or twice weekly, but be sure to keep your skin incredible hydrated when you remove the mask. 

It comes in a tub with 100ml. I think it will last a very long time. I use about a grape sized amount for my entire face. 

The consistency is a bit strange. If you've ever worked with clay and slip in an art class you'll understand, but it's a bit unique for a clay mask. I feel as though it really has the potential to dry out so make sure you keep the lid tightly screwed on. 

At first application all I noticed was the smell. If you like the scent of seaweed, this won't be an issue. It's bearable, but certainly not my favourite smell. Soap and Glory wins for scent- but that's entirely personal preference. 

The mask dries quite quickly. The Soap and Glory mask takes a lot longer to dry, and I feel as though I can't wait for it to dry completely. This mask dries very quickly, and it's very obvious when to remove it. It feels very tight on the skin and a good way to test is to try smiling- it should be difficult! 

Here's the mask right before removal. It dried entirely and what was pretty neat (and gross) was that you could see where the mask had drawn out dirt from your pores. It's oddly satisfying and quite noticeable once it has been washed off. 

Overall, I think this mask is a great choice for people who suffer from breakouts or an uneven skin surface. It really provided me with a deep clean and I saw noticeable and immediate results around my nose and cheeks. I definitely recommend following up with an oil or heavy moisturizer to help retain some moisture- otherwise this mask would be incredibly drying. 

I hope you enjoyed this review! Thanks for reading! 

Megan 

"Beautifully Disney" Brush Set Review

Hey everyone,

Back in November my parents and sister went to Disney World in Florida for a vacation. My Mum discovered the "Beautifully Disney" range (which I believe is exclusive to Disney parks) and she picked up a few things for me which I received as gifts for Christmas. She bought me a mascara, lipgloss and a brush set, so I'll be reviewing the brush set for you today! Enjoy!!

The packaging for the set was really cute. It was designed really well with lots of Disney touches, but it wasn't over the top. The design of the brushes themselves are very unique with a duochrome, ombre effect on the handle and the purple bristles. 

The brushes are 2-in-1 which make them a perfect choice for travel. They are labeled as Blush, Foundation and Highlighter, but I find I use the Blush brush for Bronzer, the Foundation brush to Contour and the Highlighter brush as a Setting brush for powder under the eyes. They are very versatile and they seem to be quite good quality.

The blush and smudge brush is the biggest in the set. The blush brush is full without being too dense, and I think it applies a good amount of product without getting too cakey or powdery. 

The foundation and crease brush is also really nice. The crease brush is a pretty standard brush, it's nice but nothing special. The foundation brush has at really nice pencil type tip which is perfect for contouring. I have yet to use it with a liquid product but it works nicely with powder contours.

The highlighter and lip brush is the best set up for these type of brushes. Because the highlighter brush becomes a cap for the lip brush it's perfect for travelling and not getting red lipstick everywhere!!

Overall, I think this brush set is perfect for travellers or starters who are just getting into makeup. I hope you enjoyed the review!! 

Megan

Mani Monday

Hey everyone,

Today I'm reviewing a new shade that I received for Christmas by Essie called "Warm and Toasty Turtleneck". I used to do a series called Mani Monday, this year in doing a weekly mani post as close to Monday as possible. Enjoy! 

The colour is a deep lilac with a normal finish, nothing too sparkly or matte. It doesn't have any shimmer and makes a great purple shade for the winter time, without being too dark. 

The colour has a really nice formula and isn't too thick. I did two coats, but it totally could have looked good with one coat. 

I hope you liked this post and this new format, have a great day! 

Megan 

Estee Lauder 'Double Wear' Foundation First Impressions

Hey everyone,

Today I'm doing a first impressions review of a very popular foundation by Estee Lauder: Double Wear. It's a very popular foundation and is famous for it's long wear and heavy coverage. I hope you enjoy this post!

 I have the 30ml bottle which retails for $44.00 CDN

 I have it in the shade 1C1 Shell (which has now been renamed Cool Bone I believe)

 It is described as: "This remarkable lasting, yet lightweight makeup wears comfortably up to 15 hours, even in high humidity. It won't smudge or come off on clothes. Oil-free, Fragrance-free."

 It comes in a heavy glass bottle, not great for travelling.

"Estēe Lauder’s Double Wear Makeup delivers flawless, 15-hour staying power, and it is natural-looking for carefree coverage. A lightweight, oil-free, and buildable formula, it doesn’t change color, leaving your makeup looking as fresh as when you first applied it"

It also has no pump! A huge downside if you travel a lot or find you spill a lot of makeup!

Before

After: As you can see it is a very high coverage foundation that's slightly too pale for me (I've been self-tanning)

 It covers my problem areas with ease!

 After about 10 hours of wear things were still looking alright.

 It kept the colour of my highlight and blush, but had worn off in places I rub or touch (cheeks and forehead)

 The one issue I really had was the separation of the product on my forehead. In between my brows I have quite bumpy skin and I think it is about the only area on my face which gets oily. I was annoyed that the separation of the foundation was so obvious, but could easily be taken care of if I had touched up.

Here's the flash photography picture. As you can see, it definitely leaves a white cast on the skin. It isn't as bad as other foundations I have used, and it's also quite a bit paler than my skin, but it's good to know that it doesn't photograph as well when using a flash.

I hope you enjoyed this first impressions review! Overall, I think this foundation has a great coverage and shade range. If I could change anything I would add a pump, but everything else is pretty great. I think it's definitely worth a try for any girls with blemishes or problem areas on their skin, the coverage is fantastic!

Thanks for reading!

Megan

Vera Wang "Princess" Fragrance Review

Hey everyone!

Happy New Year! Here's to another year of successful blogging! Thanks for all your support in 2014, I still can't believe how my blog has grown in a year and the difference that consistent readers make!

Today I'm reviewing a fragrance I've used since I was around 12 years old. It was released in 2006 and is described as a:

 "Modern and playful magical elixir. It celebrates youth and femininity in its top notes that bring the aquatic nuances with pure and sharp notes of water lily, apple, freshly-sweet mandarin and apricot. The heart is composed of exotic guava, Tiare flower, tuberose, with a touch of dark chocolate. The base brings powdery traces of vanilla, amber and wood. The bottle looks like a heart-shaped jewel, very fine and elegant, a symbol of magical charm and romantic in lilac tones."

 I received the gift set for Christmas, which was a really nice surprise because I had recently finished a bottle.

 It comes with a "Satiny Body Polish", a yummy smelling body wash which lathers up really nicely and has some exfoliating beads.

 It also came with a "Satiny Body Polish", which also smells delicious and is a really nice thin formula, one I've used for years because it absorbs very quickly and makes your skin feel very smooth and soft.

 Of couse a 30ml bottle of the fragrance itself is included. It smells absolutely delicious, and a fragrance which I will continue to repurchase for years to come!

 Here is a picture of my old empty bottle!

And the old and the new together!

Thanks for reading! Happy New Year!

Megan